Gazpacho

If we didn't live in the frozen tundra, I'd have gazpacho year round. Who's to say that I haven't although I'm not admitting that's true! It's a salad in a bowl and stays for days in the refrigerator. In fact, it gets better as it "ages". Serve it with a savory biscotti, a melted cheese sandwich or alone. It doesn't get much better than this. Oh, wait! It will. Just as soon as local tomatoes hit the farmers' market.

Since living in "corn country", I've added those luscious yellow kernals to my recipe.

CORN GAZPACHO

1 cup cooked corn

1 large, seeded, chopped tomato

3 cups tomato juice

1 unpeeled, diced cucumber

1/2 cup finely diced Vidalia (or other sweet) onion

1/2 seeded minced jalapeno (or to taste)

1 minced garlic clove

2 tablespoons minced, fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stir all together in a large bowl, cover and chill at least one hour before serving. Delicious!

I enjoyed this after every visit to my obstetrician while expecting our first child. I'd weigh in and then head to Cafe Lautrec at the top of the cove in La Jolla. My bowl of gazpacho was always followed by a warm brownie a la mode. I highly recommend the combination!

RePa* Recipe-Scotch Chocolate Cake

*Refrigerator/Pantry Recipe

I didn't factor dessert into my Father's Day grocery list. My husband loves dessert. He could eat dessert for breakfast. How could I not be prepared to stun him with something spectacular?

At the last minute, I had to forage through refrigerator and pantry for sweet fixings. And then I remembered Scotch Chocolate Cake. A friend brought it to a pool party when we lived in Texas--long, long ago. It was delicious and fed a crowd (key word is crowd and there were only two of us for dinner). Buttermilk is the only "not usually on hand" ingredient. My refrigerator held just the required amount left over from biscuit making.

Dinner was ribeye steak, oven roasted potatoes and a salad. Just after dessert, both boys called their dad for a chat. We then settled in to watch the latest "Miss Marple" on Masterpiece Theater. It was a good day!

Scotch Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

Combine flour and sugar and set aside. Put butter, oil, cocoa and water in pan and bring to a boil, stirring. Pour into flour and sugar mixture. Mix well. Then add:

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, well beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix well. Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes.

ICING

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

6 tablespoons milk

3/4 (or thereabout) box of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Start icing about ten minutes before cake is ready to come out of the oven.

Bring butter, cocoa and milk to a boil in a large pan. Stir constantly.

Remove pan from heat and add the remainder of the ingredients.

Pour over hot cake.

Enjoy.

Take a large portion to the neighbors!!